Jim DeCredico "Purple Belt Promotion"

Following this past Saturday BJJ class GR Black Belt Jiu-Jitsu Instructor Jeff Starr proudly promoted student Jim DeCredico to the rank of Purple Belt. Jim has showed the skill, attitude, and has been taking private lessons on a regular basis. Make sure the next time you see Jim you congradulate him on his accomplishment. If anyone else is looking to obtain rank make sure you attend classes somewhat consistantly and make sure you stick around to free after most classes when you can. Getting ranked requires you to be training and rolling in a gi during classes. Jeff looks at your skill but also your attendance. Obviously the more time you put on the mat the better you will most likely get.

GR Becomes an Officially Sanctioned School by the Thai Boxing Association!

We are proud to announce that GR is now an officially sanctioned school under Master Ajarn Chai and the Thai Boxing Association.

What this means is that we plan to add a little more structure to our already successful Muay Thai program.Current Muay Thai Instructor Jason Dent used to operate through the now defunct United World Muay Thai Association while GR Co-Muay Thai Instuctror Aaron Veverka has always been through the T.B.A. Since the U.W.M.T.A. no longer exsists we plan to make sure all instructors (Jason Dent, Aaron Veverka, & Mark Fredebaugh) are on the same page as far as technique, etiquette, history, testing students, and lesson plans in general. All three of GR's Muay Thai Instructors have competed and won in Muay Thai. Jason has around 17 fights, Aaron has around 13 fights, and Mark has 1.

Being sanctioned by the T.BA. has lots of perks for our school, one of those will be having access to bring in some world reknown Muay Thai fighters for seminars right here at GR and possibly one day we may actually get Master Ajarn Chai himself here if we are lucky.

The new certificate will be up in the front room as soon as we get a frame on it. Again this will be a slow process of change as all of our experienced instructors will be getting together occassionally to review, test, and train together. If anyone has any questions see Kru Aaron Veverka on thursday nights when he teaches Thai and he can best answer your questions and assist you since he is already a certified instructor under the T.B.A.

Thanks to everyone for your support of GR and as always we promise to work hard to improve the gym in as many ways as possible so that everyone gets the most our of what they are willing to put in.

Rob Vogler "Blue Belt Promotion"

Following tonights Monday night BJJ class GR Black Belt Jiu-Jitsu Instructor Jeff Starr proudly promoted student Rob Vogler to the rank of Blue Belt. Rob has showed the skill, attitude, and has been attending classes on a regular basis. Make sure the next time you see Rob you congradulate him on his accomplishment. If anyone else is looking to obtain rank make sure you attend classes somewhat consistantly and make sure you stick around to free after most classes when you can. Getting ranked requires you to be training and rolling in a gi during classes. Jeff looks at your skill but also your attendance. Obviously the more time you put on the mat the better you will most likely get.

Intra-Academy Grappling Tournament

This past Saturday marked the inaugural grappling tournament for all students within GriffonRawl Academy. It was the first time that all of GR's wrestlers, jiu jitsu practitioners, and members of the fight team could test their skills amongst themselves, using the techniques and ground work that felt most comfortable to them in a tournament setting. And although most of the students have trained together at one time or another and have become close friends, there was no shortage of competitive spirit come time for the match ups.

With over 40 students scattered throughout 7 different weight classes, the night turned out to be quite the entertaining event filled with close victories, narrow defeats and an all around great showcase of what GR has to offer come 2012.

And out of those 7 weight classes the following champions were crowned:

George Murphy - 135lbs
Paul Compton - 145lbs
A. J. Carl - 155lbs
George Comer - 170lbs
Tony Reel - 185lbs
Miguel Defina - 205lbs
Brett Snyder - 265lbs

Congratulations to all who participated, and train hard, because with a turnout like the one we had last weekend you can be sure that another tournament will soon be in the works.

Caged Fury 15: Dent v Straus & Burbol v Lastafka

Daniel Straus v Jason Dent
On October 15^th, 2011 Jason Dent ended his record setting NAAFS Lightweight title reign with a Unanimous Decision loss to Interim title holder Daniel Straus after 5 rounds of action.

The title unification bout was a long time coming. The Interim belt was created when Dent left NAAFS for the UFC after a successful run on The Ultimate Fighter resulted in a UFC contract. Shortly after winning the interim belt, Straus signed a contract with Bellator, and left NAAFS with the understanding that he would return and defend the belt in Dent's absence.

When Dent's time in the UFC ended, the unification fight was scheduled, then set aside in favor of a super fight between Dent and NAAFS Middleweight Champion Chris Lozano. Dent suffered a fractured arm in that fight, and the unification fight was again delayed, this time for over a year.

Straus has been called one of the best wrestlers in Ohio who never won a title. He showed those skills in this fight getting takedowns in every round and controlling the action with a strong top ride. Dent did a lot of damage to Straus from the ground, but not enough to convince the judges that he was in control of the fight.

Straus said in interviews before the fight that he wanted to test Dent's stand up and find a way to finish him. After the fight he said after eating some solid shots he decided to go back to wrestling and get the win that way.

The judges score sheets show the final total: 50-45, 50-45, 48-47. All judges favoring Straus.

John Burbol v Dave Lastafka

John Burbol's night ended early as he was dropped with a short right seconds into the first round. Sitting up to shoot he was caught in a tight guillotine, and was forced to tap.

The video (courtesy of Inside MMA) shows hightlights of the Caged Fury show. Dent v Strauss starts at the 1:00 mark

UFC Fight Night New Orleans 9/17/2011

The Fight Night in New Orleans was Donny Walker's second UFC appearance in 2011. This time he was matched up with strong wrestler Ken Stone.

The fight opened with Donny showing some standup advantage. A leg kick from Stone lands low and they restart. Walker continues to show advantage standing. They close and Stone takes the action to the cage wall. Stone traps Donny's arm and trips him. Donny briefly stands up and is tripped again. Stone gets his hooks in and secures a Rear Naked Choke . Walker refuses to tap and is choked out

Written by Bob Donaghy

Evolve Smoker Results

Fun and successful night at Evolve MMA's Kickboxing Smoker tonight down in Akron. Congrats to Matt Maio & Reggie Parks on getting W's and having good showings and and even bigger CONGRATS to Ryan Lose who had an all out WAR with a very dangerous and experienced fighter. Ryan's fight was declared a draw but it was AWESOME! Overall it was a good experience for our guys and fun.

Written by Bob Donaghy

NAAFS "Rock N Rumble 8" Official Results

On Saturday August 27th three GR warriors competed in Cleveland, Ohio at the NAAFS annual Rock N Rumble event. Reggie Parks & John Burbol both fought amateur while George Comer made his Pro debut. It ended up being a tough night for our team as all three of our guys ended up losing by decision this time around. On the flip side all three guys still have winning records and gained some good experience as each faced top level competition in there weight class.

We will lick our wounds and plan a come back as we always do if we lose. Thanks for all the support from those who helped these guys in training and or showed up to there fights to show your support. See everyone back in the gym.

Tim Hall "Blue Belt Promotion"

Following tonights Monday night BJJ class GR Black Belt Jiu-Jitsu Instructor Jeff Starr proudly promoted student Tim Hall to the rank of Blue Belt. Tim has showed the skill, attitude, and has been attending classes on a regular basis. Make sure the next time you see Tim you congradulate him on his accomplishment. If anyone else is looking to obtain rank make sure you attend classes somewhat consistantly and make sure you stick around to free after most classes when you can. Getting ranked requires you to be training and rolling in a gi during classes. Jeff looks at your skill but also your attendance. Obviously the more time you put on the mat the better you will most likely get.

GR gets its own Song produced - Compliments of GmonE!!!

GR now has its own song. The song turned out pretty cool and has alot of details pertaining to the gym in the lyrics. The song also name drops all of GR's head instructors Jason Dent, Donny Walker, & Jeff Starr as well as all of GR's Pro's in AJ Pulling, Paul Compton, Bryon McCroskey, & George Comer. This song should be released on the next volume of the NAAFS fight music Vol. 4 but we plan to also have a stack of singles produced to sell for an affordable price at the gyms pro sales shop as well. Thanks for the support everyone and here is a link if anyone would like the hear the song now.

Link to the GR song: http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_9680511

GR's Jiu-Jitsu Instructor receives his Black Belt!

Congrats to Jeff Starr on being promoted to Black Belt by Relson Gracie. Jeff got promoted at the grand opening or Robin Gieslers Academy in Columbus, Ohio on Friday July 29th following a seminar that was conducted by Relson. Everyone here at GR is extremely proud of Jeff for this awesome accomplishment. Make sure to congradulate Jeff next time you are at GR or in one of his classes. Jeff runs BJJ classes Mondays & Wednesdays from 7:45 to 9pm also on Saturdays from 2pm to 3pm.

GR's Donny Walker gets 2nd crack at UFC Fight Night 25"

Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker will have a second go around in the UFC, this time it will be on September 17th, 2011. Walker will take on America Top Team's Ken Stone in New Orleans at 135lbs. For more information, visit http://mmaweekly.com/bantamweights-ken-stone-and-donny-walker-meet-at-ufc-fight-night-shields-vs-ellenberger

GR's own Jason "Dynamite" Dent is set to defend the NAAFS Pro Series Title!

4x UFC vet & Ultimate Fighter Season 9 star Jason 'Dynamite' Dent (21-11), the current NAAFS Professional Lightweight Champion has signed a deal to fight Interim Champion Daniel Strauss (16-3) in October, 2011. Dent suffered a broken ulna in his fight last June of 2010 and has not fought since. It will be great to see Jason back in action agains and especially locally. This fight will unify the NAAFS Lightweight belt and will headline the NAAFS event in a brand new 4,000 seat arena inside the International Exposition Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Tickets will be available at GR starting on September 1st.

Click the following link for the full news report: http://naafs.biz/site/2011/07/19/blockbuster-main-event-to-be-held-at-i-x-center-this-october-as-dent-vs-straus-will-unify-naafs-title-at-caged-fury-15/

GR's Paul Compton & George Comer get Multi Fight Deal and there own Baseball cards with the NAAFS!

Both Paul 'Str8outta' Compton (145lbs) and 'Bonesaw' George Comer (155lbs), fighting out of the GriffonRawl MMA Academy, have signed 3-fight deals with the region's premier MMA organization, the North American Allied Fight Series.Both fighters are managed by GR's Jason Dent. Click on each link for the separate news write ups. In addition to the signings, both fighters now have NAAFS trading cards available for collection for a reasonable price. GR will do its best to get a stack of these cards to sell in house as soon as we can. Make sure you congradulate these guys the next time you see them in the gym.

Paul Compton story: http://naafs.biz/site/2011/05/31/comer-signs-3-fight-deal-with-naafs/

George Comer story: http://naafs.biz/site/2011/07/20/compton-and-holt-sign-multi-fight-deals-with-naafs/

Results for Donny's UFC 132 debut

On Saturday, July 2, 2011 GriffonRawl's Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker took on Jeff 'Hellbound' Hougland in The Ultimate Fighting Championship 132 "Cruz vs. Faber." It was Donny's first fight at bantamweight, having taken the fight on two week's notice. Donny came out at a slower pace than normal but nonetheless was the aggressor, pushing the pace throughout the fight. Jeff was able to keep things at bay in round one until he hit a takedown and went for a guillotine submission attempt. Hougland went for a few submission attempts throughout the three rounds, but was unable to finish Walker. Donny continued to stalk Jeff, and attempted a submission attempt of his own, but in the end it was to be Hougland's night. The judges scored the contest 30-27, 29-28, and 30-27.
Being the first fight of the night, performing well, and going the distance was enough to convince the UFC brass Donny earned another shot. Check the GriffonRawl events page for Donny's next fight. For complete results visit http://www.ufc.com/event/UFC132/results

GriffonRawl Fight Team gets its own "Sauna"

GriffonRawl, already the premier MMA academy in the area, continues to invest in products and services to best service its fighters. The latest addition is a fully functional sauna. For now the Sauna is for official team fighters only. We may change the policy eventually. It can comfortably sit two, and depending on the weight class, three people. Please make sure to bring a towel with you in order to keep it as clean as possible. Also note, it takes about 10 minutes for the sauna to full heat up. Enjoy the latest addition!

Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker "UFC 132"

Griffonrawl's own Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker, coming off an impressive 7 fight winning streak has inked a multi-fight contract with MMA's premier organization, The Ultimate Fighting Championship. Donny is a late replacement and will take on Jeff Hougland on July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information visit one of the following links below. Congratulations to Donny on the this tremendous accomplishment!
http://mmajunkie.com/news/24107/bantamweights-jeff-hougland-and-donny-walker-added-to-ufc-132.mma
http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/06/23/donny-walker-jeff-hougland-to-make-ufc-debuts-at-ufc-132/
http://www.profighting-fans.com/articles/ufc-donny-walker_062111.html
http://www.gatewaymma.com/ohio/2011/06/23/donny-walker-signs-with-ufc-debuts-against-jeff-houghland-at-ufc-132/

profighting-fans.com "Donny Walker Interview"

Donny "Eagle Eye" Walker recently sat down to discuss his recent past, and his plans for the future with profighting-fans.com. Click the direct link to view the interview in full. http://www.profighting-fans.com/articles/donny-walker-interview_061311.html

GriffonRawl "Wristbands"

The pro shop at Team GriffonRawl has recently been stocked with wristbands. A great way to show team pride, stop by and pick yours up today!

Relson Gracie "Seminar 6-6-11"

On Monday, June 6, 2011, GriffonRawl was once again visited by Master Relson Gracie. Relson's visit was on short notice yet the eleven participants were treated to the lessons only Relson can bring. This was considered (just by chance) to be an advanced seminar since the lowest rank in attendance holds the rank of blue belt. The seminar was highlighted by the promotion of Tony Reel to brown belt and the self-defense test Jeff Starr took as part of his ongoing black belt assessment. We look forward to seeing Relson again in the very near future.

Tony Reel "Belt Promotion"

Following the Relson Gracie seminar on June 6, 2011, Master Gracie acknowledged the dedication Tony Reel has committed to the study of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. After years of study, in both gi and no-gi training, Relson promoted Tony to the rank of brown belt. Pictured in the center, Tony is flanked by Master Gracie and head instructor of the academy, Jeff Starr.

GriffonRawl "Lanyards/Keychains"

New GriffonRawl lanyards/key chains are now being stocked at the GR Pro Shop. GriffonRawl continues to expand the products available at the academy. This is just the latest way to show your team pride!

George Comer "NAAFS 3 Fight Contract"

From the NAAFS: 5/31/11 (North Canton, OH): The NAAFS is pleased to announce that two time national amateur champion George Comer, has inked an exclusive three fight deal with the promotion. Comers professional debut is slated for July’s “War on the Shore” card in Geneva, Ohio.
Comer, an undefeated GriffonRawl product, won the 2009 NAAFS national lightweight title when he defeated Kevin Rothacker then followed that up the next year by winning the NAAFS welterweight title to become the first ever amateur to win national titles in two different weight classes.
“George is one of those fighters who you can see has the talent and mind set to make it to the highest level of this sport. We are looking forward to watching George continue to develop as a professional inside the NAAFS cage.” stated NAAFS president Greg Kalikas.
The NAAFS is expected to announce several more pro signings in the days and weeks to come.

EFC 8 "Bragging Rights"

On Saturday, May 21, 2011 Paul "Str8outa" Compton faced (on about a week's notice) Matthew DiMarcantonio in a featherweight bout at EFC 8 in Erie, Pennsylvania. Several teammates accompanied Paul to Erie. What follows is a brief recap of the fight.
Paul started out extremely strong in round one, controlled the pace and action throughout the fist round and appeared poised for a similar course of events in round two. However, Matt showed his heart and skills and did enough to probably win the round. Round three, showed Paul's heart and his cardio training as Paul hit a nasty take down, slamming Matt's face into the canvas where it appeared he was dazed from the slam. Paul wasted not time in unleashing a barrage of hammer fists and elbows. Round three was the deciding round, and Paul earned not only a unanimous decision from the judges, but also his 5th professional victory!

George Comer "Cleats Sponsorship"

Recently turned professional fighter "Bonesaw" George Comer recently agreed to a sponsorship with Cleats Club Seat Grille in Mentor, Ohio. Along with the fight sponsorship, Cleats has hosted private UFC showings for GriffonRawl MMA Academy members and friends. The management at Cleats also put up two plaques showcasing George in action. George is looking forward to his working relationship with Cleats as his begins his professional MMA career.

NBC Local Affiliate WKYC "Mixed Marital Arts Surges in Popularity"

In mid-March NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC, visited the GriffonRawl MMA Academy in preparation for a piece they were preparing on the sport of mixed martial arts. The piece aired on the 11pm news. From the WKYC website:

MENTOR -- It's a sport that not only has become a TV ratings powerhouse, kids of all ages are lining up to learn their mixed-martial arts, or MMA.

"A lot of people think we just grab these people off the street, and go at it," says Jason Dent, owner of GriffonWral MMA Academy in Mentor. "MMA is the furthest thing from street-fighting you're going to find."

Channel 3 recently visited the academy to see what the sport is all about.

We wanted to find out why kids and adults, men and women are getting in the cage to duke it out, rid themselves of stress and get a good workout all at the same time.

Click the link for the full story: http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/182317/45/Mixed-martial-arts-surges-in-popularity

UFC "The Ultimate Fighter 14 Tryouts"

On March 21, 2011, Donny 'Eagle Eye' Walker, along with GriffonRawl's head coach and long time friend Jason 'Dynamite' Dent, made the trek to Newark, New Jersey in hopes of being selected as a participant for the popular television show "The Ultimate Fighter." Utilizing the valuable experience Jason had on 'TUF 9" Donny prepared himself well for the tryouts. Donny performed well in the opening round of grappling by defending a submission attempt, going for submissions himself, and kept busy throughout the grappling phase. After the striking phase, he was again passed on to the next stage--the interview portion. Donny said the interview went well mainly because he was himself. Not trying to play to the producers or putting on a show, Donny let his magnetic personality shine through. At this point, the producers are in the selection process, and only time will tell if Donny will be cast. TUF 14 will feature featherweights and bantamweights. Although Donny typically competes as a featherweight, he put himself into the mix at bantamweight, a drop he has been considering for some time. Whether he is selected, not selected, or chosen as an alternate, we wish to say congratulations and best wishes as Donny waits on the selection process.

NAAFS "Midwest Combat Challenge 13"

On Saturday, March 12, 2011, five GriffonRawl warriors made their way to Akron, Ohio for the NAAFS' Midwest Combat Challenge 13.
Brad Bukovics made his debut at 170lbs against Julius Bello. Brad took the fight to the ground in both rounds one and two. In round one Julius was in trouble, but the round came to the end with Brad landing nice ground and pound. In round two Brad again had the fight on the ground, moved to the mount and Julius was unable to buck him off as Brad continued to strike from the top, forcing the referee to stop the contest.
Zoran Laden took on Jesse Greenhalgh in his second MMA fight. After a back and forth round one, Zoran opened up round two with a nice leg kick. Jesse attempted a takedown, but Zoran stuffed the attempt and got to Jesse's back. After an unsuccessful attempt at a choke, Zoran resorted to heavy strikes and tactic paid off as the referee was forced to stop the contest at 2:55 of round two.
Dan Vandevender made his debut at a catch weight of 150 lbs against Brian Brooks. Dan looked to keep the fight standing early, but Brooks landed a takedown and after a scramble they get back on their feet. Brooks secured another takedown, but Dan hit a nice sweep to get on top. Dan was a little too over anxious, looking to land heavy ground and pound, but Brian chained two submission attempts together, securing an arm bar at 2:25 of round one. Dan gained valuable experience in his debut for the team.
Mike MacDonald went up a weight class to lightweight to take on Pat Callaway. Both fighters exchanged nasty leg kicks and heavy shots throughout the contest. Callaway was busier in round one, but Mike went for a series of submissions including a deep arm bar late in round one. Round two and three were again back and forth. Mike was clearly rocked from a low-blow in round two and took quite a bit of time to recover. In round three Callaway landed a nice uppercut that dazed Mike, and the referee was forced to stop the contest in the latter part of round three.
Chuck Schilling made his way back to the cage after a long layoff against Nate Mango. After an initial leg kick by Mango, Schilling secured a takedown from the cage wall, but Mango was anticipating it, as he had a guillotine locked as they hit the ground. The contest ended at :33 of the first round. Chuck had a long layoff and this experience will only make him better.
For full results visit http://naafs.biz/news/2011/03/14/midwest-combat-challenge-13-play-by-play-results/

Bryon McCroskey "NAAFS Fighter of the Month"

After his impressive TKO victory in his professional debut at NAAFS' Caged Fury 14 on February 26, 2011, Bryon McCroskey was selected as the NAAFS Fighter of the Month. Bryon has 9-4 overall MMA record and was the 2009 welterweight NAAFS co-champion. Congratulations to Bryon! Bryon clearly proves hard work and dedication pays dividends. For further information visit http://www.naafs.biz/fighterofweek/index.html

Ryan Barnard "Blue Belt Promotion"

3/11/11: Ryan Barnard has been steadily improving his jiu-jitsu skills, and head of the Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy at Team GriffonRawl took notice. Jeff Starr recently promoted Ryan Barnard to the rank of blue belt. Ryan's hard work and dedication earned him the promotion, and promptly after being promoted, Ryan took his skills to the Arnold Classic No-Gi Competition in Columbus, Ohio. Ryan won three out of four matches, earning himself a silver medal in his division. Take a moment to congratulate Ryan when you see him at the academy. Congratulations again, Ryan!

Rob "The DutchMan" Kaman Seminar

Team GriffonRawl Members and long time friends Kru Aaron "Juice" Veverka, Jason "Dynamite" Dent and Donny "Eagle Eye" Walker attended the Rob "The Dutchman" Kaman seminar at Evolve MMA in Akron Ohio.

Kaman is a 9 time world Champion in both kickboxing and Muay Thai, and has fought many very notable opponents, winning many of his fights by KO. A pioneer in the sport, he has helped to shape it to what it is today.

Thanks to Evolve MMA for hosting the event, a fun time was had by all and more knowledge gleaned from the veteran gladiator! Thanks also to Rising Dragon as the GR combatants were able to mix it up and have some fun training back and forth with some of the rising stars in their ranks!

More Mat Space

We have recently added 324 square feet of additional mat space to the academy. This addition will better help us to accommodate our growing number of students. We are always trying to better our facility and make this a safer and more comfortable place for you to train.

New Wall of Champions

The academy has recently dedicated a wall to display team members' championship belts. Many of our fighters have brought in their belts to be displayed. Make sure you stop in and take a look at the results of the hard work and determination of our champions. If you have a championship belt at home that you earned under Team GriffonRawl and would like to bring it in to add to the display please let Jason know.

NAAFS "Caged Fury 14"

On Saturday, February 26, 2011 the NAAFS held "Caged Fury 14" at the historic Gray's Armory in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Three GriffonRawl warriors were set to compete.
Unfortunately John Burbol's (5-2) opponent backed out of the fight stating he had injured his knee the day before. John is currently on a three fight win streak and with his tremendous work ethic, he'll be looking to get back in the cage as soon as he can.
Miguel Defina took on Dave Spadell Jr. in the opening bout of the evening at 170lbs. Miguel was able to fully control rounds one and three and survived a vicious onslaught at the beginning of round two in route to a unanimous decision win. What was discovered later was Miguel had broken the ulna bone in his forearm in the beginning of round one and yet Miguel continued to fight and fight well despite the excruciating pain.
Bryon McCroskey (9-4; 1-0) made his professional debut against the unpredictable John 'Mongoose' Myers at 155lbs. Bryon had a solid round one controlling the pace and rocked Mongoose with a nice shot towards the end of round one. In the scramble that ensued Mongoose injured his knee and was unable to answer the bell for round two, thereby giving Bryon a TKO victory in his professional debut.
For full results visit www.naafs.tv

GR Level 1 TBA Muay Thai Test

Big congratulations are due to the following Nak Muays (Muay Thai fighters) who passed their level one certifications: Kevin Peterson, George Comer, Ryan Lose, Brandon Walukas, Zac Popik and Kevin Faraci!! Awesome job guys, and let this only be the first step you take on your journey to the Thai combat arts!

The test was conducted by Kru Aaron Veverka who is a certified instructor under Ajarn Chai of the Thai Boxing Association. The test consisted Thai philosphy, technique, and even some conditioning as well.

GriffonRawl and Intimidation team up on New Fight Shorts

Intimidation Clothing is pleased to announce they have teamed up with GriffonRawl MMA Academy in Mentor, Ohio to feature Intimidation’s new MMA board shorts. As part of their new agreement, Intimidation and GriffonRawl have chosen to work together to supply board shorts to each of GriffonRawl’s professional MMA fighters. With GriffonRawl’s logo and team colors of red & black, Intimidation red & black MMA board shorts were the ideal choice and feature both the Intimidation logo and GriffonRawl MMA Academy in block letters on the legs.


For more information on Intimidation MMA Board shorts click here: http://www.intimidationmma.com/intimidation-griffonrawl-mma-team-up-on-co-branded-fight-shorts/

Bryon McCroskey Gets His Own Trading Card

To mark the signing of Bryon McCrosky to an exclusive 3 fight deal as a professional fighter the North American Allied Fight Series has issued the Bryon McCrosky trading card.  The signing was in part in response to Bryon winning the 2009 national amateur co-championship at 170.  Bryon’s first pro fight is scheduled for February 26, 2011

Bryon's record is HERE

Byron joins Jason Dent, Donny Walker, George Comer and Paul Compton as GR fighters honored by NAAFS with a card.

Congratulations Bryon!

Written by: Bob Donaghy

Caged Fury 14 - Bryon McCroskey Interview

Here is a link to an interview that was conducted less than a week ago with GR's very own Bryon McCroskey. Bryon is set to make his Pro debut at this Saturday nights NAAFS "Caged Fury 14" at the Gray's Armory in Cleveland, Ohio. Bryon is the first fighter since AJ Pulling to get turned Pro by his head coach & manager Jason Dent. Bryon also just signed a 3 fight deal with the NAAFS as well. Its a quick good read so check it out. If for some reason the link doesn't work just copy and past the URL in your web browser.

http://www.profighting-fans.com/articles/naafs-caged-fury14-bryon-mccroskey_022311.html

NAAFS 2010 AWARD RESULTS

GriffonRawl proudly recieved two awards from the NAAFS 2010 Year End Awards.

Fight of the Year went to the Dent vs. Lozano fight which was held down in the Cleveland flats last June. This was an outstanding fight ending with Lozano taking the win by ref. stopage. The fight was an all out war and we here at GriffonRawl are all very proud of Jason Dent and the heart he showed in this fight. Having went up a weight class himself and Lozano coming down a class in order for this fight to take place Dent faced surmounting odds and made all of us very proud. Congratulations Jason!

Breakout fighter of the Year went to our very own Donny Walker. Donny has worked very hard this past year and has truly shown himself to be a force to be reconned with. We are expecting great things from Donny in 2011. Congratulations Donny!

Once again we would also like to congratulate our other fighter George Comer who was nominated for awards this past year. George came in a close second for Amateur Fighter of the Year. Great Job George.

OK Team it's time to storm 2011! Sweat more! Bleed Less!

McCroskey turns Pro & signs three fight deal with NAAFS!

Congrats are in order for Bryon as he not only is entering the Pro ranks but has also landed a 3 fight deal with the NAAFS. Bryon had a very successufl amateur career as he won the 2009 NAAFS National Amateur Series Welterweight Title and also picked up the 2010 UMMAXX Lightweight Championship shortly after as well. Bryon has shown versatility in not only being able to submit some of his opponents but he has also won by KO as well.

For the official story on the NAAFS official story we have provided a link. Enjoy http://www.naafs.biz/news/2011/02/13/mccroskey-signs-three-fight-deal-with-naafs-new-opponent-announced-for-cf-14/

Vote for Team GriffonRawl!!

NAAFS 2010 YEAR END AWARDS

VOTING ENDS JAN. 31ST

Click here to vote: http://naafs.biz/2010-awards-voting

Donny Walker has been nominated for Breakout Fighter of the Year

Donny has also been nominated for Pro Fighter of the Year.

George Comer has been nominated for Amateur Fighter of the Year.

For Fight of the Year we have THREE of our fighters in the running!!!

JASON DENT, DONNY WALKER, AND GEORGE COMER!!

Vote now and support Team GriffonRawl!!

StandThemUp Exclusive: Interview with Jason Dent

Jason Dent is a legend of the sport and a veteran of many hard fought battles in the cage. He is a pioneer for MMA and one of my favorites.

STU:It is listed that You have been training and competing professionally since 2003 fighting names like Jeff Curan, Roger Huerta, Glieson Tibau and Chris Lozano. What do you feel was your toughest fight to date?

JD:I’d have to say the one guy that gave me the most trouble would have to have been Glieson Tibau. He was so strong it was ridiculous. It was one of my most boring fights but I say him because he was able to just shut me down and make the fight boring. I had exciting WARS with all the other guys.

STU:You fought Chris Lozano at Fight night in the flats,which was voted one of the best in 2010,how do you feel that he will do in the upcoming Bellator tournament?

JD: Chris is a stud no doubt about he is definitely on the rise and a force to be reckoned with. I always root for my past opponents and it doesn’t matter if I beat them or they beat me. He is more of a striker and the guy that will beat him will have to be decent on his but awesome at takedowns. When Chris and I fought I bumped up a weight a class from 155lbs and he bumped down from 185lbs to meet at 170lbs so with me being a natural lightweight its tuff to gauge how well he will continue to do against bigger guys.

To read more from this interview click here: http://www.standthemup.org/dr/content/standthemup-exclusive-ufc-veteran-and-naafs-champion-jason-dent

RFO "Mansfield Mayhem X"

On Saturday, January 16, 2011 John Burbol was the lone GriffonRawl warrior set for action at RFO's "Mansfield Mayhem X." John was the main event fighting for their middleweight amateur championship taking on undefeated Nick "The Mauler" Mueller from Team Fight Farm. The fight was an all out war between two rising stars in amateur mixed martial arts. The back and forth battle raged deep into the third round, but it appeared Nick was ahead on the judges score cards. Almost like a script of a "Rocky" movie with the time keeper signaling there were just ten seconds left in the final round John landed a thunderous overhand right that knocked out the previously unbeaten Mueller giving John a KO victory at 2:52 of the 3rd round. The victory was John's third consecutive win and he now improves to 5-2. Congratulations to John!

GriffonRawl "Coffee Mugs"

The GriffonRawl team shop now has coffee mugs available for purchase. The mugs have the official GriffonRawl logo on one side and a funny saying on the other. Recently GriffonRawl beanies and stickers were also added to the team shop. Mugs are only $8.00 so pick up yours at the academy.

GriffonRawl "Beanies"

The GriffonRawl MMA Store is now carrying NEW GriffonRawl Beanies for just $12.00. Perfect for stocking stuffers or for just surviving the northern Ohio weather. Stop in and get yours today!

Dan Vandevender Jiu-Jitsu "Belt Promotion"

Team GriffonRawl and its Jiu-Jitsu program is pleased to announce coach Jeff Starr has promoted Dan Vandevender to the rank of blue belt. Dan has been working hard on the mat, attending classes, and free-rolling in a constant effort to improve his skills. Dan's ground game has improved tremendously and is deserving of the promotion. Congrats to Dan and keep up the good work!